Celiac Plexus and Splanchnic Nerve Blocks in Palm Coast, FL

The upper abdominal organs send their pain signals through one shared junction. A celiac plexus block places medication at that junction — identifying the route your pain takes and quieting what it carries.

What it treats

This block addresses deep, poorly localized pain from the organs of the upper abdomen:

It is used most often for pain originating in the pancreas, and also the stomach, liver, gallbladder, and upper intestine. Those share a quality of pain: deep, boring or cramping, hard to point to, and frequently referred straight through to the mid-back.

How it works

The celiac plexus is a dense knot of nerve fibers deep in the abdomen, directly in front of the aorta where the celiac trunk branches off it — roughly the T12–L1 level, behind the stomach and pancreas. Nearly all pain sensation from the upper abdominal organs converges there before continuing to the spinal cord. Feeding into it from above are the splanchnic nerves, running alongside the vertebral bodies, which can be targeted instead when the plexus itself is hard to reach.

Placing local anesthetic around that knot takes the route offline. Because it is one convergence point rather than a scattered set of nerves, a single well-placed injection can reach pain from several organs at once — which is what makes it useful when no one structure can be blamed.

Dr. Manuel López, a board-certified pain management and rehabilitation physician, performs this block under continuous image guidance. The target sits against the aorta with the kidneys close by, so contrast is injected and watched spreading correctly before any medication follows it.

What to expect

This is an outpatient procedure, and you’ll need a driver.

• Before: intravenous fluids are started, since a blood pressure dip afterward is anticipated. You lie face down, and the skin of the back is cleaned and numbed on one or both sides of the spine.
• During: the needle travels alongside the vertebral body toward the front of the spine. Contrast confirms position and spread, then the medication follows. Deep pressure in the back is typical, and Dr. López checks in with you as it goes in.
• After: you’re observed while your blood pressure normalizes. Expect looser bowels for a day or so, and some soreness where the needle passed.

What Dr. López wants reported back is the deep pain specifically — how much lifted, and how long that held.

Is it right for you?

This block comes into the conversation when:

• Deep abdominal pain has continued after a full gastroenterology evaluation
• The pain radiates through to the mid-back and is difficult to localize
• Pain arises from an upper abdominal organ affected by cancer
• Medication controls the pain only at a cost in side effects you can’t accept

Blood pressure gets the closest attention beforehand, for the reason described above: this block deliberately relaxes the vessels feeding a large share of your circulation, so anyone who already runs low, is dehydrated, or takes blood pressure medication has less margin for that dip and needs fluids planned accordingly. Kidney disease is reviewed for the same circulatory reason. Anticoagulants and bleeding disorders matter because the needle passes close to the aorta; prior upper abdominal surgery or radiation matters because it can move or scar the structures the imaging relies on.

See whether the junction is carrying your pain

Deep upper-abdominal pain with a normal workup often turns out to be traveling this one route. Testing it is straightforward.

Call (386) 222-7746 or request an appointment.